Dragon Tears
by RaritajiGolden
Summary: Ch. 8 uploaded When Wufei is captured after a mission, the other Gundam Pilots must search him out, and bring him back alive. None of them are aware of the great and powerful secret the Chinese pilot holds. A secret that will change their lives forever.
1. Sorrow

Wufei closed his eyes. What was wrong with him? He had devoted his life to helping the weak, and the only thing he got back in return was the realization that those people would live another day. This should have been enough. Normally, it would have been. This time it wasn't.  
Eyes closed, he smoothed her hair and tried to wipe the dirt from her face. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. They stared back up at him. The life in them was gone, destroyed by his selfishness. The muscles in his chest tightened, and he held back the cry of pain that was slowly being born in the depths of his throat. He felt a hand on his shoulder, but he ignored it. He couldn't leave. She had died because of him.  
"Wufei, let's go, we have to go back to the safe house," Duo's voice said. To Wufei, it meant nothing. Only the dead woman meant something. Only his weakness, his selfishness meant something. Nothing else mattered.  
"Duo, come on," Heero said flatly as he slid into the car.  
Everyone was in the car except for Duo and Wufei. Duo wouldn't leave until Wufei came. That was his decision, and there was no way anyone was changing it.  
"Leave, " Wufei snapped, glancing over to Duo once.  
"No, man, I'm not gonna leave you here like this," Duo argued.  
The veins in the Dragon's neck bulged a little. He wanted to be alone. He always wanted to me alone. It was his destiny. Chang Wufei was destined to be solitary all his life.  
"Please. C'mon! I'll be quiet until we get to the safe house, you have my word!" pleaded Duo, putting his other hand on Wufei's shoulder.  
"Take your hands off me, and LEAVE!" Wufei snarled. He snapped his head around, jaw set in a grim line, eyes boiling with pain.  
Duo couldn't stand to see his friend like this. He didn't flinch at Wufei's shout, and he felt his eyes stinging with tears. He opened his mouth to speak, but the roar of the car's engine brought his eyes to the red pick up truck.  
"We're going, Duo. Can you walk to the safe house?" Quatre's gentle voice asked him.  
Duo nodded a little and called, "yeah, we'll walk. Thanks, man. See ya."  
Duo caught the look of jealousy in Heero's eyes and frowned, then turned his attention back to Wufei. As the car sped away, the braided boy shook Wufei gently.  
"C'mon, man. Pull through this. You are strong, just."  
Wufei stood and turned to look at Duo, his eyes closed. When his eyes opened they were full of a bitterness Duo had never seen before. It scared him.  
"I am dishonorable and weak. You can do without me," Wufei spat.  
Now Duo was starting to get angry. He wanted to hit Wufei, but he knew it wouldn't solve anything. It would only make things worse. "Fei.we all care about you. We need you. You have never let us down. So just come. We can't do anything for her. She's gone"  
Wufei grinded his teeth together. This was his fault. He was to blame.just another burden on his shoulders, that is all it was; he couldn't let go. He couldn't stop seeing the look of horror on her face.  
"Fei?" Duo said. He looked worried now.  
"Maxwell, I told you to leave."  
Duo shook his head. He had that little stubborn pout on his lips, and his eyes were narrowed and determined. He reached out to pull Wufei toward him, but the Chinese boy took a step back. Duo glared at him.  
"C'mon, Fei, this is stupid. We have to go to the safe house," Duo said.  
Wufei eyed him, then shook his head and looked to the dead woman. He said, "go without me."  
"You are not worthless! Now let's go! It's getting dark, and the streets around here are dangerous."  
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Wufei turned away from Duo and walked away. That was it. Duo couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't change the stubborn pilot's mind.  
"The war with OZ may be over, Maxwell," Wufei said as he walked. "But my war is not."  
Duo didn't get the chance to ask what Wufei meant by that. The Dragon was gone, melted into the darkness of the streets. With a sigh, Duo Maxwell shook his head and walked in the direction the car had gone. He needed a drink, but he thought it would be better to go see this safe house. He knew there were probably drinks there. He hoped there were, anyway.  
  
As Wufei walked, he reflected on the battle his friends and him had won. Mostly, though, he thought about the girl. She had been running away from the threat only to run into the arms of a gleefully waiting death.  
"I am useless." Wufei murmured softly to himself. The streets were dangerous. Duo had said so himself. Why hadn't he believed the braided pilot?  
"Hey, kid!"  
Wufei froze at the sound of the voice. Who was it? And what did he want? The voice was definitely male. Narrowing his eyes, Wufei dropped into a defensive position and stared straight ahead. He knew the voice had come from directly in front of him.  
Blinking once, Wufei, without letting his guard down, slowly began to retreat back the way he had come. Perhaps he should go back to the safe house. He knew how to get there. His heart began to pound in his chest while he backtracked. He didn't hear the sound of shoes anywhere. Maybe the strange man had left? Wufei hoped so.  
A solid hand fell upon the young boy's shoulder, and he flinched violently. When he tried to turn around, Wufei felt his attacker's fingers dig harshly into his flesh. The Chinese boy held back a cry of pain while moving away from the fingers.  
"Take your hand off me." Wufei growled.  
The man behind him chuckled. Wufei felt hot breath brush over his left ear, and smelled the wretched stench of day old alcohol. The boy held back a cough, but he couldn't help the sudden feeling of nausea in his gut. His knees felt weak; Wufei could hardly stand anymore. The grip of the hand over his shoulder was turning into real pain, and it was all he could do to keep from moving away from it. Wufei knew that would hurt even more.  
"You're coming with me, sweet thing," the man said smoothly.  
"I am not. NOW LET ME GO!" Wufei shouted while he choked on his own bile. 


	2. Capture

"Fei?" Duo's voice rang out.  
Wufei froze, then managed to speak in a gasping whisper, "Maxwell, get out of here. You were supposed to go back!."  
Duo looked from the man to Wufei, then back again. His amethyst eyes were wide, and his lower lip trembled gently. "Well, about that.I couldn't just leave you here all alone, I had to follow you.good thing I did."  
"No, the girl can stay, too.if she likes." The man leered at Duo, who instantly put his hands on his hips.  
Wufei shook his head, as if telling Duo to stay quiet, then felt the bones in his shoulders shift.  
"Maxwell, leave!"  
"Let me go in his place," Duo blurted.  
Wufei looked at Duo Maxwell in disbelief. Had the American just said what he thought he'd said? And if so, why? He wasn't worth anything. For reasons unknown to him, Wufei felt tears tickling against his eyes.  
In what was like slow motion to Duo as the man's right first came down and slammed forcefully into Wufei's left temple. Wufei reacted without thinking. He reached back with his right hand, opposite to the hand upon his left shoulder, and grabbed the guy's hand firmly. They he lurched his body forward, dropping his left shoulder. His left arm moved back and slammed into the guy's belly, helping to lift him off the ground, the momentum Wufei had created the driving force behind the throw. Ducking his head slightly, he let the man sail over him, keeping a firm hold on his left hand, his knees bent, feet spread and balanced. The man landed with a harsh grunt on his back, his left arm twisted painfully. Wufei's eyes were black ice.  
Another man, from the side, came hurling toward Wufei, and he stabbed a long needle into his neck, driving the back down hard to inject Wufei with something clear and shining.  
Duo snarled and leaped at the brute.  
Wufei slammed hard into the wall with a soft howl of rage, slapping a hand to his neck. The needle was gone.  
With a roar, the man spun Duo in the air 360 degrees. Duo landed with a muffled cry on the sidewalk, and when he attempted to stand a muddy boot pinned him down.  
"Lemme up!" Yelled Duo as he struggled to turn around onto his back.  
After a few painful seconds, the pressure was gone, and the braided boy launched himself to his feet. Tears sprung to his eyes when he realized that Wufei, and the man, had disappeared. What would he tell the other pilots when he got to the safe house?  
Moaning his despair, Duo trudged silently down the street, hands stuffed into his pockets, shoulders hunched forward. Now was not the time to cry. He had to find Wufei. He needed the Chinese pilot.  
  
Heero and Trowa were cooking when Duo literally smashed through the door of the safe house. The sound of his panting filled the quiet room. Quatre looked up from the one cushioned sofa, then quickly stood and went to Duo.  
"Duo, what's wrong?"  
Still breathing heavily, he looked up enough to see the worried faces of three confused gundam pilots.  
"Wufei.he was.taken." Overwhelmed by exhaustion and shock, Duo collapsed at Quatre's feet.  
The blonde's eyes widened, and he scooted down to his knees, glancing to Trowa and Heero as he did so. He didn't need to say anything, as the two quiet boys were already there. All three of them helped each other carry Duo to the couch. Once the braided pilot was settled, the Arabian sat by his side while Heero went to rescue the burning chicken. Trowa had noticed the cut on the side of Duo's head, and had disappeared into the bathroom. Heero knew where he had gone, but Quatre didn't. He didn't care anyway as he pushed Duo's bangs from his face. It was then that he noticed the cut.  
He glanced up quickly "Trowa, he's.."and he drifted off as he spotted Trowa kneeling beside him with a bottle on antiseptic and a warm cloth. "Oh."  
Quatre watched as Trowa took care of Duo's wound, which wasn't as bad as any of them thought it was. Quatre thought he smelled.what was that? Burning? Oh no! The chicken! The Arabian raced for the kitchen just as he heard Heero's monotone voice call out:  
"Someone get the fire extinguisher"  
Quatre put a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide, then yelped, "We can't!"  
"Why not?" Heero's tone was sharp now, and annoyed.  
"Because we used it after I tried making a sandwich. Don't you remember?"  
"Hn. Idiot"  
That was the last thing Heero said before there was a crackling sound. All Quatre saw was a blur as the Japanese boy raced for the door.  
"Everyone out. It's going to explode!" Heero called, before bursting out into the dim light of the forest. He kept going, and Quatre followed without a thought. Then he remembered Duo. Turning, he was about to go back when he felt a rough hand on his arm, dragging him away. Quatre fought that hand with all he had, but Heero was stronger as he pulled the blonde away from the soon-to-be-rubble safe house.  
"DUO! TROWA!" Quatre shrieked, tears streaming down his cheeks as he suddenly fell limp, giving into Heero's powerful hold.  
Not moments after Quatre had screamed, there was a huge explosion. Chunks of wood and metal and plastic flew hundreds of meters into the air. The blast from the explosion caused both Heero and Quatre to smash face- first into the ground, and both Gundam Pilots covered their heads. They stayed that way, even when they heard the debris crashing down all around them, the smaller pieces raining down afterward. Part of the gas stove fell near Heero, who didn't flinch at all. After the ordeal was over, Heero stood, and dragged a stunned Quatre to his feet. Then, the Arabian fell into tears, his sobs echoing throughout the forest. Heero looked at him, then placed a hand over his mouth to quiet him, glaring. Quatre immediately quieted, although his tears still ran freely down his cheeks.  
"They're alive," Heero told Quatre, his hand still over the other's mouth. "Will you stay quiet?" Quatre nodded.  
When Heero took his hand from Quatre's mouth, the blonde sniffled a little, then stiffened. He heard a rustling in the bushes. Was it them? Could it be?  
A disoriented looking Duo broke from the cover of trees, followed by a stoic and calm looking Trowa. Quatre promptly glomped them both, his tears no longer tears of sorrow, but of joy.  
"How did you guys get out??"  
"Well, I don't know about you, but being tossed over a shoulder like a stuffed animal is not my idea of fun," said Duo in an annoyed voice. Trowa remained as silent as ever.  
"I'm just glad you guys are okay. What are we going to do now?" Quatre inquired. 


	3. Awakening

Wufei knew he wasn't alone even before he came to. He suspected there were at least three people in the room with him, maybe more.  
Opening his eyes, he tried to blink away the painful light as it blazed onto his oriental features. A soft groan, not intended, parted his lips as he lifted his head a little. He was on a table of strong oak. Four people surrounded him, watching him with curious eyes. Wufei lifted a hand and rubbed it across his eyes, choosing to stay silent.  
"Don't move," a soft voice sounded.  
Wufei turned his head slightly toward the sound, his pulse racing. What was this? What was going on here? And who were these people? The Chinese boy knew better than to say anything without knowing what he was here for, or who these people were. Oh, he wanted to, more than anything. Yet he knew better than that. It was what this war was teaching him, slowly but surely.  
"Can I have him first, sir?" That same voice spoke up.  
There was a gentle murmuring of voices before a hand gripped his arm. His muscles tightened, and he jerked his arm back with a growl. A harsh smack was his reward, and the end of his tolerance. With a loud battle cry, he launched himself from the table, leaping over heads and bodies as he sprinted for the door. He felt an arm encircle his waist, pulling him back, and he twisted within that arm, his right elbow smashing into the man's face. His attacker fell back with a cry as Wufei launched himself toward the door. He managed to rip it open despite all the hands grabbing at him, and stumbled through it. He didn't know where he was, but all he could think of was getting away.  
Spotting a set of stairs, Wufei hurled himself toward them, and clambered upward, breath shallow and panting, his body pumping with adrenaline. He groaned when he reached the top. It was the roof of a massive apartment building. There was no way he was going to jump. He wasn't suicidal. But he wasn't going to give up without a fight, either. Taking a deep breath, the Dragon turned and waited for his enemies to show themselves.  
They came, all four of them. One of them, the one Wufei had elbowed, was bleeding from the lip. The Chinese pilot couldn't help but smirk at that. Weaklings, all of them. This wasn't going to be a problem. The men stopped a few meters from Wufei, who snarled.  
"What are you waiting for, you weaklings?" He spat.  
"Steven, grab him," the one with the cut lip commanded.  
Steven, a fair haired human who couldn't be more than seventeen, stepped forward, and reached for Wufei's shoulder. Wufei angrily smacked his hand away, and dropped into a light crouch. His hands were balled into fists. There was no way any of these men were going to take him alive. He would fight with all he had, would use up his last reserves, and battle until the end.  
"Get away from me!" snapped Wufei, taking a step back.  
With sudden accuracy, and terrifying speed, all four men threw themselves at him. Wufei darted off the side, and bolted for the stairs that led back down to the room he had woken up in. One of the men, Steven, got there first, and tore the door open. The piece of solid metal slammed into the fleeing Asian, and sent him flying backwards. Wufei landed on his back, completely limp and, now, unable to put up any sort of fight at all. Steven sighed, then picked Wufei up, and headed down the stairs, the other three following him.  
  
"Why do we have to stay at a hotel? I hate hotels? Why couldn't we have stayed at the safe house? I mean, there was still part of it left, right? Guys? Aren't I right?" Duo rambled on as Heero checked all four of them into the Royal Garden Inn.  
"Duo, shut up," said Heero.  
The American slumped his shoulders a little as Quatre got the keys and graciously thanked the man. Heero took the keys without asking, and handed Quatre another set.  
"I could only pay for two rooms," Heero explained. "You and Trowa have 123. Duo and I will take 122"  
There were nods all around. With that dealt with, Duo grinned broadly.  
"So, what are we gonna do for dinner? Any places to eat around here?"  
All eyes looked to Duo, who blinked and stared back dumbly. After a few moments, Duo was left, alone, standing in the lobby and wondering what to do about dinner. Muttering to himself, the pilot of Deathscythe stomped after the others, hands clenched as he called out to them.  
"Come on, everyone needs to eat. Right?"  
  
Wufei awoke in the same room as before. He moved to sit up, and immediately regretted it. A massive fist swung down and caught him solidly in the chest, bringing a choking gasp from his shocked lungs. The Asian shook his head a little, then gritted his teeth, still searching for his breath.  
"Don't move, and you won't get hurt," Steven warned.  
"A little late for that, isn't it?" Murmured Wufei.  
Again, a fist came crashing down toward him. Wufei snarled and threw himself to the side, only to find that chains held him down snugly to the counter. His body jerked as the fist connected with his chest. The Chinese pilot let out a soft, unintentional cry, his body shuddering once before he lay still. 


	4. Revelations

"Why don't we just let him go?" Steven suggested.  
"No," a dark haired man argued. "We need him with us."  
"He'll be no good in the arena, not if he can take a hit like that and black out. He'll be slaughtered. Let's find someone else."  
Wufei tried not to twitch. Ha, he could take so much more than a hit like that. Who did these men think they were, anyway? He decided to lie still, and pretend he was still unconscious. He might be able to find out something important. Nothing was said after that. Apparently, no one wanted to argue.  
After a couple of minutes, the shuffling of feet was heard, and then there was silence. All four had left, save one. The man left in the room was Steven of course. Wufei was lucky the man left was not the one he had wounded. Otherwise, the Chinese boy would have been had a long, brutal fight on his hands.  
"I know you're awake," said Steven.  
Wufei made no reply.  
"Listen. If you want to live, you must fight. It is what you were born to do. Fight and protect. All dragons are."  
The Asian stiffened. "Excuse me?"  
Steven sighed gently, and Wufei felt a rush of air by his left side as the older man sat down. "I suppose I should explain things."  
"Yes, I suppose you should. WHY have you taken me here in the first place, you WEAKLING?! Do you have no sense of honor or intelligence?! Do you even KNOW WHAT JUS-"  
"SHUT UP YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A DRAGON!!!"  
"I THINK NOT! YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT JUSTICE IS! YOU HAVE NO SENSE OF-"  
"I SAID SHUT.UP!!! NOW!"  
Wufei's voice become cold and savage "I will NOT! I will be strong, unlike you WEAKLING! AAAHHHH!"  
Steven felt something hard connect with his right eye, and he went toppling backwards. He noticed that the chains had been snapped. They had not been powerful enough to hold the dragon.  
As soon as Steven fell back, Wufei rolled off the table and scurried for the door. He was going to get away this time! He wouldn't let any of those vile weaklings capture him this time. As the Chinese pilot flew down the stairs, Steven called loudly for the others. Too late, all of them came rushing into the room. One of them stayed behind to tend to the man's wound while the others sprinted off after Wufei.  
Once the pilot of Nataku reached the street, he stopped dead. He has no clue where the hell he was, and what was worse.he had a whole bunch of crazy men after him  
If you can even call them men, Wufei thought smugly.  
"GET HIM, NOW!"  
Wufei whipped his head around at the sound, then hurried in the direction he thought would be best. While he had been trapped on the rooftop, the Chinese boy had taken the short amount of time he had had to survey the surrounding streets and such. From what he had seen, it would take about half an hour or so to reach the spot where he was beaten and captured. He knew how to get to the safe house from there.  
The thunder of frantic feet was directly behind Wufei as he screamed down the street, never glancing back because that could waste precious seconds. Wufei's fists were clenched as he turned down an alleyway in hopes of losing his pursuers. Of course, no such luck could be had. They followed on, relentless.  
Wufei was sweating a little by the time he reached the place where he was taken. Taking in deep, almost ragged breaths, he started running in the direction of the safe house, then stopped. No, he simply couldn't lead the men there. What if they wanted the other pilots as well? How many were there again? At least five were after him now. And all of them were trained in the martial arts. He had no choice. He HAD to win. It was win or die, and Wufei would settle for nothing less. 


	5. Escape

"Guys, c'mon, I'm REALLY hungry!"  
"Duo, shut up," Heero mumbled, half asleep.  
The braided pilot put his hands on his hips, looking quite annoyed. Then, he looked at Quatre. "Q-man, buddy! You've never let me down! How 'bout we go and have a nice dinner somewhere?"  
"Duo, it's 3 in the morning. Can't it wait? Besides, I'm sure everyone would like to sleep now," Quatre said gently.  
"But Q! I'm hungry! Listen. Hey, Trowa, keep it down over there!"  
Trowa opened an eye and looked blandly at the braided wonder before slipping back into his quiet, dreamless sleep. What had that been all about?  
Quatre listened. He heard a low growl and blinked, staring at Duo's stomach. Duo's eyes widened a little. Apparently he had taken it the wrong way entirely.  
"Q-man! No, no way! No! Stop looking at me like that! Heero!" Duo's voice shot through every room in the entire hotel.  
Quatre looked shocked for a moment, then, his own eyes wide, nodded "Duo, yes. I'll go eat dinner with you, just keep it down, okay? Please?"  
Duo smirked and flicked his braid over his shoulder. "Works every time. Hey, we'll see you guys. Later!"  
Quatre fumbled with his words as he was dragged by the arm "Duo! You tricked me! Why?"  
"Heh, told you I was hungry. A starving Duo never gives away his secrets, Q-man, so keep it quiet, will ya?"  
Once the door closed, Heero opened his startling blue eyes and looked at Trowa "You're in the wrong room"  
There was no response from Trowa.  
"Omae o Korosu"  
Still nothing.  
Heero pulled out his gun and aimed it at the bottom of Trowa's bed.  
*BANG!*  
Trowa sat bolt upright with a tiny little yelp of surprise, involuntary of course. Then he looked over at Heero, who was looking mildly cross with a gun in his hand. Maybe it was time to leave.  
Once Trowa had left, Heero walked to the bed and settled down. He wasn't at all concerned by the large hole at the bottom of the bed. After all, was he not responsible for it? Finally having some peace and quiet, Heero Yuy slept.  
  
The battle raged on for about half an hour before the police came. By that time, Chang Wufei was quite a sight to behold. His shirt had been torn to shreds by the grappling hands of the men, as hand his pants, pieces of fabric hanging loose about his form, sort of resembling a hurting scarecrow. Sprouting from his shoulders were two large wings, a deep grey in color. The scaly skin over the muscles and bones glimmered in the dim light of evening, shining with both light and darkness, both melding and shifting together as one. Wufei's hair had come loose sometime in the middle of the fight, and was hiding the left side of his face, the rest crawling down across his back and shoulders, a mess of sweat and tangles. His eyes were full of a snarling menace, glinting like razor edged diamonds as he moved them from one person to the next. The sweat pouring from his body was stinging the cuts he had acquired throughout this.dilemma, but Wufei could have cared less. His enemies, all of them, were right here in front of him.  
Baring his teeth, he launched himself at one of the officers, knocking him over as if he weighed as little as a child. Then, the Dragon took off in the direction of the safe house once more. No one followed him. Chang Wufei had left behind a ragged and bloody mess of bodies and dirt. Quite thankfully, he had not killed anyone. He had simply beaten them until they had relented and sunk down into darkness. 


	6. He Took the Truck

When Wufei reached the location of where the safe house should have been, all that was left to see was smoke and debris. The boy, or should we say dragon, turned in a full circle, observing all the bits and pieces of what had been the walls, the door, even the fridge. Who had done this?  
Probably Maxwell, Wufei thought in semi-disgust.  
Another voice in his head told him that it wasn't so, but he shoved it away. He had to find the other pilots, and that was final. His decision would not, could not be altered. Duo Maxwell had made the same choice, he realized, and had lost. Well, Wufei wouldn't lose. He was worthy of Nataku, so he must be strong. He had to be.  
Bowing his head, the black haired pilot searched the earth for evidence of past footfalls, body weight, anything. He searched everywhere, but only found the rutted edges of tire tracks. Of course! They had taken the truck. They must have kept it away from the safe house so it wouldn't be obvious where the Gundam pilots were hiding out. Finally there was someone in the group who had some common sense!  
Wufei let out a gentle sigh, then started to follow the tire tracks. Then he stopped dead. Did he not have wings?  
Yes you do, but you don't know how to use them, a voice in his head reminded him.  
And he didn't have the time to practice. There was no other choice. Wrapping his wings about him to disguise them as a cloak or something, Wufei broke into an easy jog. With his luck, he wouldn't find them until nightfall, but he had to try. With no money, food, clothing, or water, he simply had to. The choice had presented itself, and Wufei had chosen.  
  
"Duo."  
Duo flicked his violet eyes up as his name was called. "Huh?"  
"Who took Wufei?"  
The American stared blankly at Heero.  
"Who took."  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time, Heero. Lemme think, okay?"  
Heero simply watched the braided pilot like a hawk would a sparrow. Quatre was attempting to help Trowa make a peanut butter sandwich and listen to Duo at the same time. It wasn't going well. Whenever the poor Arabian glanced over to Duo, Trowa would spill something.  
"I only saw two guys."  
"That isn't right. Wufei can take on more than two guy."  
"I said I only saw two guy, Heero. There were probably more. Five or six more I would think, knowing Wuffie," Duo finished with a smile.  
"Hn. Anything else? A description?"  
"Oh. Right. A description."  
There was a moment of silence.  
Everyone looked at Duo, including the jam covered Trowa.  
"One had Wuffie by the shoulder, but he got dealt with pretty fast. I saw another one come and stab a needle into Wuffie, but that's about all I can really remember."  
Everyone still looked at Duo.  
"Guys? You okay?" The American looked from one pilot to the next.  
"A description," the normally silent Trowa reminded Duo.  
Duo put a hand to his head, a wild grin spreading across his face. "Wow! Trowa spoke. I feel so honored. I."  
Heero's right hand came down, smacking Duo across the left cheek. There was no time for excitable and talkative people to have their way unless it was something important. Wufei needed to be found.  
"OW! Heero, what."  
Duo shut his mouth immediately when he felt the cold metal of Heero's gun press against his skull.  
"Duo, we don't have time for your senseless chattering. Describe the men you saw," Heero growled.  
"Um, black hair, dark brown eyes. He was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The one with the needle I mean. Oh, there's one more thing." Duo closed his eyes, and tried to remember. "Heero, that gun is making me nervous. Can you put it away?"  
"No."  
The longhaired boy smacked himself in the forehead. "Oh yeah! How could I forget? I'm so stupid! There was a black dragon tattoo on his upper right shoulder. Its tail spiraled down to entwine in his fingers. I saw it when my Wuffie fought back."  
There was a stunned silence. Not even Quatre said anything. Once the words sunk into Duo Maxwell's brain, the American slowly put a hand to his mouth. Had he said that?? Had he?  
"I.I didn't." was all he could say.  
None of them saw Heero Yuy leave the room, but they heard the door slam shut with angry force.  
"Duo, you go get Heero while Trowa and I finish these sandwiches, okay?" Quatre suggested.  
Duo let out a sigh, then nodded and went barreling out the door, calling Heero's name.  
  
By the time Wufei reached the hotel it was midnight. His wings had somehow disappeared. Where they had gone was a complete mystery to the Chinese pilot.  
Wufei slipped into the hotel, paying no attention to the beauty above him. The stars were shining brightly in a clear black velvet sky. The moon was full, and shining fully upon the earth, its weak rays offering what little bit of light it could.  
The Asian was breathing pretty hard, but he wasn't about to collapse or anything like that. He was much too strong, or so he told himself. Wufei saw no one at the front desk. This brought a most unpleasant scowl to his lips.  
Fine, Wufei thought sourly. I'll just hack into the computer and find out where they are myself.  
Slipping behind the desk, he settled himself in the chair and powered the computer up. While the machine was doing that, Wufei got up and checked twice for security guards. There were none. The Asian was alone.  
"Weaklings," he murmured.  
Wufei seated himself again, and began searching through the hotel's files.  
fter a few minutes, Wufei found what rooms the other Gundam pilots were using.  
"Rooms 122 and 123. They're the only ones here, heh. Got it," muttered Wufei."  
  
"Heero?"  
The dark eyed pilot of Wing Zero slowly turned around. His eyes were the smoldering pits of hell, and the pain within them was deep and raw and horrible. Duo felt his heart wrench, felt the muscles in his chest tighten with a scream of denial. What had he done?  
Heero seemed to sense this denial, and turned his back on Duo, looking out into the night. His cobalt eyes, so blue and so piercing were narrowed into slits of hatred. What did Wufei have that he didn't? While he mulled over this, Duo dared to come closer.  
"Heero, you have to understand something." The pilot of Deathscythe knew he had to tread very, very carefully.  
Heero looked over his shoulder at Duo, waiting. The coldness in his eyes was frightening. So.empty and dead. It took a lot of courage for Duo to even think about those deep, dark orbs of Heero Yuy.  
"I.I don't love you, Heero." The American bowed his head, expecting the worst.  
Nothing happened.  
"H.Heero?" Duo, eyes wide, lifted his head. Heero hadn't moved. Was he looking at something? "Heero, what is it, buddy?"  
"Wufei."  
Duo stepped up beside Heero and looked. Nothing. He cast an angry glare in the Japanese boy's direction.  
"That isn't funny."  
"Wufei is here. Don't question me, Duo."  
"But.where?"  
  
Wufei trotted up the set of stairs, then moved down the hall. His feet padded quietly over the blue-carpeted floor as his ebony eyes flicked from one numbered door to the next. There it was. He stopped in front of room number 122 and knocked lightly on the door. Wufei listened as quick feet pounded over the floor.  
"Heero?" Quatre's quiet voice called out.  
"It's Wufei. Let me inside," the Asian snapped.  
Quatre blinked on the other side of the door, then opened it. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and he promptly latched himself onto Wufei, who stood there with a scowl. Trowa glanced up from his chair and waved at Wufei before going back to reading the newspaper. Quatre let go of Wufei and closed the door behind him, unable to keep the smile from his mouth.  
"Where are the others?" Wufei wanted to know.  
Blank looks from Trowa and Quatre were his reward. Wufei cursed softly.  
  
"Heero?"  
Heero looked over at Duo, then shook his head a little and walked through the door. When he stepped into the hall, Duo trotted after him.  
"Hey, I'm talkin' to you, man. What's up?"  
Heero rolled his eyes a little, but kept walking. He walked past rooms 122 and 123, and headed for downstairs. Curious, the American followed without a thought, chattering away at Heero until he got glared at. After the glare, Duo just talked every few seconds, mostly inquiring about where Heero was going.  
"Duo..."  
"Yah, Heero?"  
"Be quiet."  
"K. Where we goin', anyway?"  
Heero didn't answer. He just walked out the door and lengthened his stride. He was headed for the truck.  
"Uh..Heero...we need that truck you know..."  
The Japanese boy was silent as he opened the driver's side door, slipped in, and slammed the door shut. He took the keys out of his pocket and shoved the correct one into the ignition as Duo whirled around and bolted into the hotel. He had to get the others before Heero left. He couldn't hold him back all by himself.  
Halfway down the hall, Duo slammed to a halt. He heard the screech of tires on pavement and paled. So that was it. They were all stuck here. Heero had all the money, and food was short. Now that Heero was gone, well...there was a big problem. Letting out a deep breath, Duo charged to room 122 and started rapping both knuckles furiously on the door.  
"I'll get it!" Came Quatre's startled voice from inside.  
The door opened, and the Arabian was bowled over by a frantic Duo.  
"Duo! What? What is it? Ow...would you please get off?"  
Duo offered Quatre an appologetic look, then leaped to his feet and threw his arms in the air "Hello?? Guys! We have a problem!! Heero took the truck!"  
Wufei roared in anger from the bathroom. Trowa lifted both eyebrows as his jade orbs flashed. And Quatre's jaw almost hit the floor, his eyes becoming ridiculously large. 


	7. Secerets Unvieled

Heero raced down the highway in the truck, head lowered, foot pressing hard on the gas pedal. His eyes were narrowed and glowing with acid, his teeth bared. Road signs and pedestrians flew past. He caught a glimpse of the speed limit: 50 miles an hour. He glanced to his speedometer. It was cresting 80. But Heero didn't care. He didn't even care when he sped through a red light. Crashes thundered behind him, but by the time anyone could figure out what had happened he was still well on his way.

The impact was sudden. The noise bellowed in Heero's ears, and the world around him began to spin. Metal crunched around him, and the seatbelt holding him in place snapped at the buckle, sending him toppling forward. Trying to avoid smashing his face into the steering wheel, he turned it, bracing himself as best he could. He felt it as his tongue was pierced by his own teeth, blood seeping from the corners of his lips. Windows shattered all around him, breaking open skin, causing blood to run, to gush. To spurt. Once glittering eyes were now shrouded with so much pain, so much agony. The waste of Heero's body was mere shambles compared to what it had been just moments before.

In the distance sirens blared, they shrieked, they screamed. Heero heard them, heard glass tinkling onto pavement. Heard blood dripping like water onto the floor.

Wufei paced back and forth, head lowered, hands jammed into his pockets, which were then balled into tight fists. Duo was leaning against the railing, gazing out toward the highway. His expression was blank as he wondered where Heero had gone. Trowa quietly waited, settled on the front steps of the hotel. Quatre was with him, looking increasingly concerned. No one spoke. Well, not for the next ten seconds, anyway.

"So, where do you think Heero is now?" Duo asked wistfully, as though to himself.

Trowa shook his head, speaking quietly, softly, "none of us know, Duo."

"Well, that helps."

Wufei look his hands from his pockets and glared at Duo "What's your problem? You asked, didn't you? Is that all you can do? Ask questions, then throw their answers back in their faces?!"

Duo's face went red for a second as he looks to Wufei "Well I don't see YOU doing anything about it, Mr. I'm So Smart!"

Wufei ground his teeth together. "You were the one complaining!"

"Well you were the one yelling at me!"

"I'm not yelling at you!"

"You are!"

"I am not!"

"SHUT UP!" Quatre yelled.

Duo and Wufei drifted into silence and looked at the normally silent Arabian. Trowa watched him as well, curious. All eyes drited over to Wufei, each orb filled with confusion and fear. Wufei took a few steps back.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?! What?!" Wufei hollered.

Duo spoke, pointing "Uh, dude. You have...wings...what's with that?"

Wufei's eyes widened, and he looked behind him. Twin masses of darkness rose up from his shoulders, slowly spreading of their own free will. Pitch membranes glowed gently in the faint light, veins pulsing gently beneath the surface. Wufei slowly moved his eyes back to the small group before him, unsure of what he should say to them. He felt the swish of something against his legs, and he didn't have to look to see the black tail there.

Duo pushed off from the railing and moved cautiously toward Wufei. When he was within a few feet of him he stopped. Then he smiled brightly and moved a little closer. Close enough to him that he could touch those wings. They shivered under Duo's lightly prodding fingers, dropping down to try and avoid him. Duo's smile turned into a full fledged grin.

"Cool!" Is all he had to say.

"Will he....dead?"

"Going to fast......far ahead...."

"No more....sirens coming....they're here."

Through the chaos, Heero heard small snippets of what was going on around him. However, what he heard he could not retain in his memory, and each word and voice slithered away, slipped from his desperate grasp. The more he thought, the less he knew.

"Who am I?" he mouthed, trying to get the words to slide from his throat. Tears pulled from the corners of his eyes as the pain took hold of him. Nausea swept into his stomach, and with a lurch and a gag vomit spewed forth from his lips. The warmth of it spread over his chin and chest. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he let out a moan, the sound muffled and more of a gurgle, vomit still coating his throat, plastered against his tongue, moulded to the roof of his mouth. Dripping from his trembling lips.


	8. Kidnapped!

Heero heard beeping. It was all around him. It wouldn't stop, either, and each beep felt like a chisel trying to cut into his skull. His head throbbed, and the pressure behind his eyes was extreme. He couldn't feel anything but the pain. And the throbbing. And oh god, that beeping, when would it go away? Had he been captured by the enemy? Were they trying to torture information out of him? What were the questions.

His eyes opened, blue and glazed. His lips parted, and they felt like paper. So dry he could barely even wet them with his tongue. He tried to lift his head, but he couldn't. or maybe he was lifting it but was in too much pain to know it. The pain, it was…so excruciating he barely even knew what it was. He was confused. His mind was numb and empty.

A figure came into his view, and Heero reached out toward it. At least he felt himself doing it, but his arm hadn't moved. Disoriented, confused, and in so much agony he didn't even know what he was feeling, Heero was once again lost in darkness.

Back at the hotel, Wufei was almost in hysterics.

"I have wings! And a tail! Last I checked, HUMANS didn't have these things! Humans have hands and feet, they have heads, arms and legs and necks and a body and that's it! I didn't agree to this, this needs to change NOW. Whoever did this to me is going to PAY and I am going to make life so horrible and miserable for them they're going to want to die!!!"

"Cut the drama, Fei," Duo said, waving a hand. "Besides, those wings are so cool. Can you fly? Come on, let's go find out!"

Duo grabbed Wufei's hand, and dragged him to the balcony. He opened it, then walked out onto it with the Asian pilot turned dragon. Wufei looked to Duo, then tilted his chin a little and folded his arms across his chest.

"I will not fly, I have had more than enough-"

"I knew you couldn't do it," Duo snorted.

Wufei sputtered. "I can, too!"

"Yeah? Then let's see you do it."

Duo quirked an eyebrow and rocked back on his heels, reaching over to play with the end of his braid. Wufei thought that the American's smirk was more infuriating than Quarte on caffine.

"Fine!"

Wufei looked away from him and spread open his wings with a low 'whump'. He stretched them out, then glanced back to Duo, who was still smirking. He sighed, then narrowed his black eyes and stared at the pavement. It was 20 feet below him. After taking a deep breath, he hopped off the railing. He dropped like any human would, but then the air caught under his wings, jerking him up. Wufei tried not to flail too much, and when he realizing he wasn't falling to his death, he started to relax.

The currents of the air, even this low, glided across his sensitive wings, and he found that if he used his gut he could control each spasm and twitch of muscle.

"COOL!" Duo yelped, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

He whirled around. "Trowa, Quarte, you have to-"

Violet eyes grew wide when he saw the barrel of a gun. Duo swallowed a little, and saw Trowa and Quarte, their body's limp, as they were taken from the room. Duo ground his teeth and moved to grab the gun, but the trigger was pulled. Duo yelped as he was hit nearly full in the chest by the bullet, and he flew backward into the wall. His head snapped back into it, and he saw grey for a second before he was forced into blackness.

Wufei, flying high above the hotel, didn't see any of this, but he did hear the gunshot, and he knew it for what it was. He was still new to this whole flying thing, and so wasn't as fast as he could have been as he plummeted down, and landed clumsily on the balcony.

"Duo!" He called, looking around with narrowed black eyes. The only evidence of anything that he could find was a splatter of blood on the wall.


End file.
